The present invention relates to an apparatus for electrophotographic image formation.
Some apparatuses for image formation are fitted with a paper delivery mechanism. In order to simply sort sheets of paper with an image formed on them, the paper delivery mechanism delivers them to two or more offset positions on a delivery tray.
For example, JP 2006-008370 A discloses a paper delivery mechanism including an offsetter, an offsetting driver, and a rotating driver. The offsetter includes roller pairs for delivering sheets of paper in one direction. The offsetting driver shifts the offsetter across this direction. The rotating driver drives a drive transmission mechanism, which rotates the roller pairs.
In recent years, it has been an important development problem to reduce the size of apparatus for image formation. Accordingly, it has been an important problem to reduce the size of paper delivery mechanisms for use in apparatus for image formation.
The drive transmission mechanism of the paper delivery mechanism disclosed in JP 2006-8370 A includes a gear train for transmitting torque from the rotating driver to the roller pairs, which shift across the delivery direction. The provision of the drive transmission mechanism is a problem with the reduction in the size of the delivery mechanism.
An object of the present invention is to provide a small and less costly paper delivery mechanism for delivering sheets of paper to two or more offset positions. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for image formation fitted with such a mechanism.